Spring Training – Doggie Playland

With the warm weather approaching, both dogs and humans want to get outside more. We at Doggie Playland are quite excited to get the garage door open and the dogs outside. It’s also a great time to brush up on some obedience training that your furry friend may have forgotten over the winter.

Recall work: Brush up on recall by making it a fun game in the park. Use a long line if your dog is not fully trustworthy off leash and have a squeaky toy handy. Let your dog get distracted and then call them to you. If they don’t respond, squeak the toy behind your back to get their attention. Once they look at you, run the other way. When they run to you, pull out the toy and play with your dog and praise them. You can play this game with two people as well by recalling between the two of you and rewarding with different toys.

Agility: Natural obstacles are a great way to exercise a working dog. Use fallen trees, park benches or even playground equipment as jumps and tunnels. Always be careful that there are no objects to injure your dog and never ever force a dog to do something if they are afraid. The goal is to make it fun for the dog. Also avoid agility with growing puppies and it can damage their joints.

Hikes: Lots of parks like High Park, Jack Darling and Centennial, to name a few, offer off leash hiking trails. This is a great way to work on off leash skills and focus while also letting your dog enjoy the smells. Just make sure you keep an eye out for wildlife and leash up or keep your dog close if others are approaching.

Socialization: Socialization is not just for young puppies. Even older dogs enjoy new experiences. Break out of the winter blues by taking a drive to a new outdoor park, lake or beach, go for a walk downtown or simply gather a bunch of friends and go for a pack walk.